具备实时定位与通知功能的可穿戴式跌倒检测系统
Wearable Fall Detection System with Real-Time Localization and Notification Capabilities.
作者信息
Tseng Chin-Kun, Huang Shi-Jia, Kau Lih-Jen
机构信息
Department of Electronic Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 106344, Taiwan.
Tri-Service General Hospital Songshan Branch, Taipei 105309, Taiwan.
出版信息
Sensors (Basel). 2025 Jun 10;25(12):3632. doi: 10.3390/s25123632.
Despite significant progress in fall detection systems, many of the proposed algorithms remain difficult to implement in real-world applications. A common limitation is the lack of location awareness, especially in outdoor scenarios where accurately determining the fall location is crucial for a timely emergency response. Moreover, the complexity of many existing algorithms poses a challenge for deployment on edge devices, such as wearable systems, which are constrained by limited computational resources and battery life. As a result, these solutions are often impractical for long-term, continuous use in practical settings. To address the aforementioned issues, we developed a portable, wearable device that integrates a microcontroller (MCU), an inertial sensor, and a chip module featuring Global Positioning System (GPS) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technologies. A low-complexity algorithm based on a finite-state machine was employed to detect fall events, enabling the module to meet the requirements for long-term outdoor use. The proposed algorithm is capable of filtering out eight types of daily activities-running, walking, sitting, ascending stairs, descending stairs, stepping, jumping, and rapid sitting-while detecting four types of falls: forward, backward, left, and right. In case a fall event is detected, the device immediately transmits a fall alert and GPS coordinates to a designated server via NB-IoT. The server then forwards the alert to a specified communication application. Experimental tests demonstrated the system's effectiveness in outdoor environments. A total of 6750 samples were collected from fifteen test participants, including 6000 daily activity samples and 750 fall events. The system achieved an average sensitivity of 97.9%, an average specificity of 99.9%, and an overall accuracy of 99.7%. The implementation of this system provides enhanced safety assurance for elderly individuals during outdoor activities.
尽管跌倒检测系统取得了显著进展,但许多提出的算法在实际应用中仍难以实现。一个常见的限制是缺乏位置感知能力,特别是在户外场景中,准确确定跌倒位置对于及时的应急响应至关重要。此外,许多现有算法的复杂性对在边缘设备(如可穿戴系统)上进行部署构成了挑战,这些设备受限于有限的计算资源和电池寿命。因此,这些解决方案在实际环境中进行长期、持续使用时往往不切实际。为了解决上述问题,我们开发了一种便携式可穿戴设备,它集成了一个微控制器(MCU)、一个惯性传感器以及一个具有全球定位系统(GPS)和窄带物联网(NB-IoT)技术的芯片模块。采用了一种基于有限状态机的低复杂度算法来检测跌倒事件,使该模块能够满足长期户外使用的要求。所提出的算法能够滤除跑步、行走、坐下、上楼梯、下楼梯、踏步、跳跃和快速坐下这八种日常活动,同时检测前向、后向、向左和向右这四种跌倒类型。一旦检测到跌倒事件,该设备会立即通过NB-IoT将跌倒警报和GPS坐标发送到指定服务器。服务器随后将警报转发到指定的通信应用程序。实验测试证明了该系统在户外环境中的有效性。从15名测试参与者那里总共收集了6750个样本,包括6000个日常活动样本和750个跌倒事件。该系统的平均灵敏度为97.9%,平均特异性为99.9%,总体准确率为99.7%。该系统的实施为老年人在户外活动期间提供了更高的安全保障。